Top 5 High Performance PLCs for Industrial Automation - PLC Programming
- DelaControl
- Sep 1
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 3
Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) are the backbone of industrial automation but the market offers many choices depending on performance, integration and flexibility. This article compares five top high performance PLC ranges: Siemens S7-1500, Rockwell ControlLogix, Beckhoff CX-Series, Schneider Modicon M580, and WAGO PFC Series.
Siemens S7-1500
The Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 is one of the most powerful of the PLC product ranges on the market. For medium to large automation projects:
Pros: Ultra-fast cycle times (<10 ns bit ops), advanced diagnostics, safety rated variants (S7-1500F), integrated motion control and broad industrial connectivity (PROFINET, PROFIBUS, OPC UA).
Software: Programmed via TIA Portal, Siemens’ integrated engineering environment which unifies PLC, HMI, safety and drives.
Best For: Large industrial systems where reliability and advanced integration is key (e.g. automotive, packaging, defence and process industries).
Rockwell ControlLogix
Rockwell’s ControlLogix is the North American equivalent of Siemens’ S7-1500.
Pros: Chassis based modular design with hot-swappable modules, strong redundancy features, wide adoption in North America and tight integration with Allen-Bradley drives and HMIs.
Software: Programmed in Studio 5000 (RSLogix), well known for ease of use and ladder logic.
Best For: Companies in North America or global OEMs already invested in Allen-Bradley and need modularity and vendor support.
Beckhoff CX-Series
Beckhoff’s CX industrial PC controllers take a different approach—combining PC hardware with PLC functionality.
Pros: High computational power (IPC architecture), excellent Industry 4.0/IT integration and the flexibility of TwinCAT software which supports IEC 61131-3 languages, MATLAB/Simulink and advanced motion control.
Software: TwinCAT, a CODESYS based platform extended with PC capabilities.
Best For: Applications that need PC openness, high performance data processing or integration with IT/IoT systems—such as robotics, vision systems and advanced motion platforms.
Schneider Modicon M580
The Modicon M580 is Schneider Electric’s top PLC often compared to S7-1500 and ControlLogix.
Pros: Ethernet native design, EcoStruxure integration, strong cybersecurity options and robust redundancy for process automation.
Software: Programmed using EcoStruxure Control Expert (Unity Pro) which integrates with Schneider’s wider EcoStruxure suite.
Best For: Process and infrastructure industries where Ethernet centric networking and Schneider’s EcoStruxure platform is already in place.
WAGO PFC200/PFC100
WAGO’s PFC series (Programmable Field Controllers) are a more flexible, open and cost-effective class of PLCs.
Pros: Based on real-time Linux, programmed with CODESYS, excellent for interoperability (supports Modbus, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, MQTT, OPC UA). WAGO is also widely used as a remote I/O platform for Siemens and Rockwell PLCs.
Software: CODESYS or WAGO specific libraries.
Best For: Cost conscious projects, building automation, energy management and cases where open protocols and IT/OT convergence is more important than raw processing speed.
Conclusion
Siemens S7-1500: The reference for reliability and advanced automation in Europe and beyond.
Rockwell ControlLogix: The choice in North America, best for modularity and user friendliness.
Beckhoff CX-Series: Best for Industry 4.0 and IT integration with PC like power.
Schneider M580: Ideal for Ethernet driven, process centric applications within the EcoStruxure ecosystem.
WAGO PFC Series: Perfect for cost effective, flexible and open protocol applications, often complementing larger PLC systems.
Beckhoff CX1020
